THE KETTLEBELL SWING

michaelreid.ca      WaterPoloTraining.net

In this monthly series of articles, Mike will discuss the science and practice of physical training for Water Polo. Strength, flexibility, Water Polo science, rehab and other areas of interest with respect to the physical development of the Water Polo athlete will be covered.

INTRODUCTION

A tool older then the sport of Water Polo has been making a strong impression on some of the top teams in Hungary and in the USA.

National Hungarian Champions VASAS, potential future Hungarian champs FTC and San Jose State uses them as part of their dry-land training program. Not to mention other pro sport teams such as the NFL Colts.

What are all these teams using as a main ingredient in their dry-land/strength training sessions?

Kettlebells!

A 'kettlebell' or girya (Russ.) is a traditional Russian cast iron weight that looks like a cannonball with a handle. The ultimate tool for extreme all-round fitness. The kettlebell goes way back, it first appeared in a Russian dictionary in 1704 (Cherkikh, 1994). So popular were kettlebells in Tsarist Russia that any strongman or weightlifter was referred to as a girevik, or 'a kettlebell man'. "Not a single sport develops our muscular strength and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics," reported Russian magazine Hercules in 1913. from: http://www.russiankettlebells.com/

One of the fundamental kettlebell exercises that is great for developing explosive hip power and conditioning is the Kettlebell Swing.

The Kettlebell Swing

A while ago, I did an interview with the strength coach at San Jose State regarding his training of the Women's Water Polo team. His girls put up some impressive numbers, like doing Kettlebell Swings with the 48kg (106 lbs) Kettlebell for 10 x 10 reps and Turkish Get Ups with 28kg. He stated that up to 1/2 of the teams strength training utilizes the Kettlebell.

In the e-book 8 Steps to to Safely & Effectively Perform the Kettlebell Swing I outline a logical and sequential path of learning this very powerful exercise. Just click here to download it or sign up at WinnipegKettlebells.ca.

[Click Mike Reid's name at top of page to learn more about his
strength training & conditioning experiences and his web sites.]